Thriller films have been a popular genre for many years, due to it's uniqueness and jumpy factors. Throughout the years the genre has raised our expectation and continuously increasing them - like a cycle. The contents which the genre contains have been increasing and have become more gory and frightful through time, because the limits and boundaries set have been ruled out. The genre has kept up the pace along with the generation, the population has become more modern along with the films. Nowadays most thriller films contain disturbing images and scenes.
I will research how the thriller genre has changed, by researching online and finding five films in any year, I will then research on the internet and compare the plots and covers and analyse the difference.
Include information on directors/actors/narrative that have been successful
Summery how will you research
1930- The 39 steps
Director- Alfred Hitchcock is an film director and producer. He specialises in suspense and physiological thrillers and has directed over fifty films in his life. A majority of his film contains twisted plots and thrilling narratives - this may be one of the factors of his popularity. Using a certain technique to manipulate the audiences thoughts towards his films. In Hitchcock's directed films he had often used a certain technique which follows the persons gaze, which is also known as 'point of view' According to 'MovieMaker' he was "the most influential film maker of all time".
The narrative is based on the novel 'The Thirty Nine Steps' by John Buchan.
It starts with a man located in London, he helps an agent to prevent an organisation called 'Thrity Nine Steps' from stealing top secret information. The agent is then murdered and the man is accused of murder. He escapes and runs away with a women to survive and stop the spy ring.
The narrative is fictional and the audience cannot relate to the storyline. The plot sounds more like an action rather than thriller which the audience may have liked then. The storyline has already shown conventions in a thriller. For example the main character runs away with a women and escapes.
Main Actress- Madeleine Carroll is a famous actor who has starred is a total of 44 films. Madeleine was active between the year 1927 -1950.
Main Actor- Robert Donat active in 1932-1958 and starred in over 18 films. Donat is an actor who has often starred in thriller genred films. The most successful films he has starred in are: The Ghost Goes West (1935), Hitchcock's The 39 Steps (1935), The Citadel (1938).
Director-Nick Grinde is an American film director and screen writer and has directed a total of 57 films between 1928-1945.He graduated from the university of Wisconsin. Grinde was a popular writer of short stories and articals. However he unfortunately died at the age of 86 in 1979.
Dr John Garth is a scientist who has been arrested and accused of killing his friend, however it has been revealed that Dr Garth had actually been researching a cure for ageing. He had planned to reverse the effect. During court he has been sentenced to be hanged after three weeks. During the three weeks Dr Garth continues his research during prison due to the help of the prison warden and a fellow cell mate scientist who was also interested in his experiment. The serum is completed using the blood extract of the past prisoner and has been decided to test the serum on Dr Garth, whilst is taken to another location he is uses the serum and during the exact moment, it has been announced that his punishment has changed to life imprisonment.
Later on to the narrative Dr Garth's age appearance has decreased and tests it on his scientist friend, but suddenly, it goes all wrong Dr Garth is then feeling murderous and kills his friend/ test experiment. People discover him and a dead body, and they misunderstand the situation. Dr Garth is released from prison an is labelled a hero, he then goes back to his family but then the urge to kill arises. His wife becomes victim after he demands she run away but then she refuses. The wife faints and Dr Garth is imprisoned again.
The narrative is more gory and realistic. The plot contains peopless deaths and is more frightening. The genre thriller has changed compared to 1930, however the conventions are the same the story bothe contains a female character but in this plot she faints and is a victim.
Actor- Boris Karloff plays Dr John Garth and is the main character through out the film.
Boris Karloff is his stage name and his real name is actually William Henry Pratt. Karloff is most remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein monster(1931)
Director- Norman Foster
A man called Frank Johnson witnesses a man talking about crime in his car, Johnson also then witnesses the man getting shot in his car. The mysterious person who shoots the man also sees Johnson - the sniper aims to shoot Johnson but accidental shoots his shadow living Johnson to live. Recognising his mistake the killer flees in his car. Johnson is then taken in to testify against a gangster as a replacement for the shooting victim, however Johnson manages to escape leaving his dog whilst he is supposed to be taken into protective custody. The police then think he is running away from a mob which leads them to contact Johnson's wife Eleanor (played by Ann Sheriden). Eleanor helps to find her husband but suspects he ran away for a different reason: their unsuccessful marriage.
Later on, she discovers that her husband has a heart condition, she then receives the needed medicine and carries on searching, Eleanor is aided by a newspaper man: Danny Leggett, who explains that he is looking for a story. The two then conduct their own investigation and provides the limited information for the police, however the police stays determined. Johnson provides Eleanor help by contacting her through letter left by a mutual contact. The letter however leads Eleanor to struggle as she needs to remember a certain memory. She over comes this and remembers, it is then revealed that Danny Leggett is the killer but used Eleanor to find Frank Johnson, it is however to late. By the time she finds out they ar at an amusement Park were Johnson is and she is trapped on a roller-coaster until it stops. When the ride finishes the killer has already reaches to Johnson and thy fight for their lives, the killer is then suddenly shot by a policemen and Johnson and Eleanor embrace.
This particular narrative is manipulative and contains a twisted ending like the film ' 39 steps' in 1930. Both of the films coincidentally have an happy ending.
Actress- Ann Sheriden is an American actress who has starred in a total of five films. When she was younger Sheriden had won a beauty contest which prize was to star in a Paramount film ( a small bit). Later on in 1934 (ages 19) she made her film debut in 'Search for Beauty' and other uncredited bits in Paramount film. Paramount wanted to raise awareness of Sheriden acting and she later signed a contract with the Warner Bros.
A man called Tom Ripley has travelled to Italy to persuade his friend to come back to the US and take over his fathers business. Philipe Greenleaf however does not plan to. Tom and Philipe live in luxury and Tom falls in love with his friend's girlfriend, Philip has enough of Tom and tortures him and abuses him. Tom then gets fed up and plans to steal Philipe's identity and take his girlfriend but in order to do so he must kill Philipe. Tom kills Philipe through lies and betrayal. Tom disposes the body of shore and takes every thing. He makes an excuse to Philipe's girlfriend and travel around with her, he then comes across Philipe's friend who grows suspicious and Tom kills him as well. The body is found and the police
investigate. Tom then abuses the identity by switching to himself and Philipe's. Philipe's body is found as the decaying body got caught on to the anchor. At the end Tom is called up by the police.
Director- Rene Clement is a french film director and screen writer he developed his interest whilst attending a French art school learning about architecture called 'Ecole des Beaux-Arts'. Clement directed his first film in 1936 which was 20 minutes long. Rene Clement has won 2 awards in his lifetime - two for Academy Award For Best Foreign Film Language his winning films were 'The wall of Malapaga' and 'Forbidden game'.
Top Ripley is portrayed as a jealous, guiltless criminal. According to the plot, it seemed he had no trouble killing his friend and taking over his identity. The character is manipulative, and secretive, he is a character which holds many secrets.
A British thriller about two nurses(Jane and Cathy )who cycle around rural France. whilst taking a break Cathy grows interested in a man who sits alone on a table. They then carry on riding when a man drives past them on a scooter and stops by the cemetery, Cathy takes interest on him. They carry on cycling then argue as Cathy wants to sunbathe and Jane wants to carry on cycling. Jane goes on ahead leaving Cathy, Jane is then warned by a man that the area has a bad reputation. Jane cycles back unaware something has already happened. Jane fails to find Cathy and doubts the scooter driver, she heads on over to the police. She eventually believes that the Lambrette scooter driver (Paul) is the killer. She escapes discovering Cathy's dead body and encounters the police which is revealed Cathy's murderer. The killer attempts to kill Jane but is knocked unconscious by Paul.
Director- Robert Fuest is the same director who had partly directed 'The Avengers'. He is a film director, screen writer and production designer. He focuses mainly on horror, fantasy and suspense genre films.
Actors
1985-Terminator
1996- Se7en
2003- Kill Bill
2010- Paranormal activity
2013-Black swan
This is a list of the top ten thrillers in 2013.
This table shows the company it is from, lifetime gross/theaters and opening theaters1. Hannibal-
Hannibal consists of cannibalism, manipulation, gory death and torture.
The characters involve Clarice Starling. Who is the only surviving victim of Hannibal Lector.
Mason Verger is a wealthy man, who attempts to kill Lector by using Starling as a bait to lure him out. Verger is an elderly man who was difigured and left paralysed after Lector was hired to be his court appointyed therapist.
Verger bribes the head of justice arpartment, to blame Starling of holding a letter from Lector. The film ends with Lector at the dinner table with Starling and Krendle. Lector cuts of Krendles brain and feeds it to him. Lector ends up escaping on a plane when he severe his arm. When is wrist was cancuffed to Starlings waiting for the police to arrive.
The film become popular because of its unique and twisted narrative. Cannabilism, in thrillers were rare, as most thrillers consist of kidnaps and murders but not through cannibalism. The plot consisted of betrayal and manipulation, this would get the audience to concerntrate and try to predict the answer. The film included many conventions such as torture and death, in thrillers atleast one person will die. Cannibal, is not what the audience would like to see but it gets the audience interested, the title lures the audience in
You have made a start in describing how thriller films have changed over the years, through the films that you have included above.
ReplyDeleteHowever, you need to ensure that you have referrenced your research. You also need to include further points on the characters, to demonstrate further understanding of the thriller genre.
Finally, aim to continue your research, till the present day.
You have included the correct box office table above and you have also started to consider how narratives appeal to an audience. But further analysis and discussion of why the films are popular with an audience are needed. Relate back to the narrative, but aim to consider the role of the audience and why they would be interested in watching a particular film.
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